Class 4 - English - Prepositions

Learning Objectives

Understand what a preposition is and why we use it in sentences.
Learn prepositions of place: in, on, under, behind, between, above, below, beside, in front of.
Learn prepositions of time: at (exact time), on (days/dates), in (months/years/seasons).
Use the correct preposition in sentences and passages.

A Friendly Introduction

Look at these two sentences: "The cat sat the table" and "The cat sat on the table." The second sentence makes sense because the word on tells us where the cat sat. Words like on, in, under, at, behind are called prepositions. They show the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence. Prepositions can tell us where something is (place) or when something happens (time).

Prepositions of Place

Prepositions of place tell us where something or someone is.

Preposition	Meaning	Example Sentence
in	Inside something	The books are in the bag.
on	On the surface of something	The pen is on the desk.
under	Below something	The dog is sleeping under the bed.
behind	At the back of something	Ravi is hiding behind the door.
between	In the middle of two things	The school is between the temple and the park.
above	Higher than something (not touching)	The fan is above our heads.
below	Lower than something	The river flows below the bridge.
beside	Next to something	Meena sat beside her friend.
in front of	Facing the front of something	The garden is in front of the house.

Example 1: Using Prepositions of Place

Anita lives in Jaipur. Her house is between a grocery shop and a tailor shop. There is a neem tree in front of her house. Her cat likes to sit on the window sill and watch the birds above the rooftop.

Think: Look around your classroom. Where is the blackboard? Where is your bag? Use prepositions to describe their positions.

Prepositions of Time

Prepositions of time tell us when something happens.

Preposition	Used For	Example Sentence
at	Exact time	School starts at 8 o'clock.
on	Days and dates	We have a holiday on Monday. / Republic Day is on 26th January.
in	Months, years, seasons	My birthday is in March. / India became free in 1947. / It rains a lot in the monsoon.

Example 2: Using Prepositions of Time

Rohan wakes up at 6 o'clock every morning. He goes to school on weekdays. His school annual day is in December. This year, it falls on 15th December.

Think: Do we say "in Monday" or "on Monday"? Do we say "at March" or "in March"? The preposition changes based on what follows it.

Key Words

Word	Meaning
Preposition	A word that shows the relationship between a noun/pronoun and other words in a sentence
Preposition of Place	A preposition that tells where something is (in, on, under, etc.)
Preposition of Time	A preposition that tells when something happens (at, on, in)
Noun	A word that names a person, place, thing, or animal

Key Points to Remember

A preposition is a word placed before a noun or pronoun to show its relation to another word.
Prepositions of place: in, on, under, behind, between, above, below, beside, in front of.
Prepositions of time: at for exact time, on for days and dates, in for months, years, and seasons.
Choose the preposition based on what comes after it -- time or place.

Practice Questions

A. Fill in the Blanks with the Correct Preposition

The cat is hiding the sofa. (under / on)
We celebrate Independence Day 15th August. (in / on)
The clock is the wall. (on / in)
Priya was born 2014. (in / on)
The temple is the school and the hospital. (between / beside)
Father comes home 7 o'clock. (at / in)
The birds are flying the trees. (above / under)
We wear sweaters winter. (in / on)

B. Multiple Choice Questions

Which is a preposition of time?
(a) under(b) behind(c) at(d) beside
"The ball is ___ the box." Choose the correct preposition if the ball is inside.
(a) on(b) in(c) above(d) behind
We use "on" with:
(a) months(b) years(c) days and dates(d) seasons

C. Identify the Preposition

Underline the preposition in each sentence and write whether it is a preposition of place or time.

The children are playing in the park.
Diwali comes in October or November.
The shop is beside the post office.
The train arrives at 9:30 in the morning.
The shoes are under the bed.

D. Read the Passage and Fill in the Prepositions

Sita lives a small town Tamil Nadu. Every morning, she wakes up 6 o'clock. Her school bag hangs a hook the door. She reaches school 8 o'clock. Her best friend Kavitha sits her. They have their exams March.

E. Make Your Own Sentences

Write a sentence using between:
Write a sentence using in front of:
Write a sentence using at (time):
Write a sentence using on (day or date):

Fun Activity -- Preposition Hunt in Your Classroom

Look around your classroom and write five sentences describing where things are. Use a different preposition of place in each sentence.

English -- Class 4

English -- Class 4 (continued)